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Tag: Dr Uche Ogah

  • APC raises the alarm over destruction of Buhari, Ogah’s campaign posters

    ABIA State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over the destruction and defacing of campaign posters of President Muhammadu Buhari and the governorship candidate of the party in the state, Dr. Uche Ogah within Umuahia, the state capital. In a telephone interview with the Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Benedict Godson,  on Wednesday, the party accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being behind the defacing and destruction of President Buhari and Ogah’s campaign posters.

    APC while warning that the party would no longer watch the ruling party in the state using hoodlums to destroy campaign posters of the President, its gover norship candidate in the state and any other candidate of the party said that henceforth, anybody caught engaging in the wicked act would be dealt with according to the law. According to Godson, the defacing of its candidates’ campaign posters is a sign that the ruling party is defeated already.

    He stated that what the party is concerned about at the moment is how to sell ideas of their candidates to the people of the state and ensuring that President Buhari gets maximum votes in Abia State. Godson, while enjoining members of the party and Abians to get their PVCs and be ready to vote out bad government from office come 2019, assured that the party would ensure that the votes of the people counted.

    “I want to advice our brothers in the opposition party that this is not the way that democracy is being played. I believe that they have seen that we have come to take over the state and I want to plead with them to gently hand over the mantle of leadership of Abia State to Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah who has come to liberate Abia from bondage come 2019.

    “Destruction of billboards and posters Mr. President, Uche Ogah and other candidates of the party is undemocratic and that cannot stop us from returning Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari who has done so well in terms of good roads, constant light, better life for Nigerians and Uche Ogah as both Presi dent and governor of the country and Abia State respectively. “It is important to say that the PDP government that we have in Abia State has failed Abians in all ramifications. They owe teachers from primary to tertiary. The roads that they claim that they have built have caved in and they cannot justify the amount of money they claimed to have spent on such roads. “The little that we are seeing in the state is being built by the Federal Government through the NDDC. “We want to assure them that nobody has monopoly of violence and destruction of posters. We are warning the PDP to stop the destruction of our candidates’ campaign posters with immediate effect,” said Godson.

  • APC lambasts Ikpeazu’s car gifts to LG chairmen, Monarchs

    The Abia State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has condemned the donation of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) car gifts to the chairmen of the 17 Local Government chairmen of the state and the state Traditional Rulers’ Council, by the governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu on his 54th birthday.

    The Publicity Secretary of APC, Comrade Benedict Godson in a release on Friday afternoon described as not only inhuman, but an administrative recklessness and wrong placement of priority by the government whom he said is yet to pay workers and pensioners several months of salary and pension arrears to Abia workers and retirees.

    Read Also:S’East govs never against Peter Obi’s candidacy – Ikpeazu

    The APC spokesman who said that he is not against anyone giving a birthday gift to friends and well-wishers, but stressed that it must not be at the detriment of the already impoverished workers in the state who have shown commitment to duties but ended up being owed several arrears of salaries.

    Drawing reference to the Biblical injunction that every worker deserves his wage, the APC spokesman said that it was wrong for the governor of the state to choose buying of brand new cars to LG chairmen that has nothing to point to as what they have achieved in their localities instead of paying the people who have ensured that the state is machinery of the state is up and running.

    He called on the people of the state to rally round the Donatus Nwankpa led APC and give them full support by voting for the party’s candidate, Dr. Uche Ogah whom he said has what it takes to liberate the state from stagnancy in governance.

    Part of the release reads: “The Holy Bible made it clear that a leopard cannot change its skin and the wise words of our elders sounded it aloud that a snake must beget something that’s long. With this in mind, the administrative recklessness and wrong placement of priority exhibited by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu yesterday during his birthday never came as a shock to us, but as a true manifestation of what he has to offer.

    “For a man whose administration owes workers of different positions, especially teachers and doctors of several backlog of salary arrears to consciously without any duress lavish vehicles worth hundreds of millions of naira to the 17 LGA Chairmen, their Deputies and the Traditional Rulers Council are not only anti-people, but an administrative sacrilege.

    “What the PDP under Ikpeazu is doing in Abia now is a government of few, for few and by few who care less about the people. This is a man who demolished peoples’ buildings all over the city of Aba in the name of road expansion and left those roads unattended to with excuse that there’s no money.

    “With the litany of abandoned projects steering him in the face, he has callously abandoned the people of Abia State and ran to few person’s he thinks will bring him back into the government house come 2019 regardless of the people’s feelings.

    “With due respect to whoever participated in the car sharing, the Abia APC led by Donatus Nwankpa wishes to say without mincing words that it is a shame and a managerial taboo in public administration to leave workers hungry just to satisfy cronies who add nothing to the state revenue.

    “It is obvious that Abia people have been mourning the demise of good governance for several years now. The APC Abia is not left out of the situation our state is into. We commiserate with everyone and assure you that come 2019 as you help us sack charlatans who are currently occupying our government house, positive change will take over

    “We therefore call on all well-meaning Abians to vote out this recklessness. Vote out people who have PhD in project abandonment and elect Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah as governor who can help in creating jobs and execute projects without punishing and impoverishing the people.”

  • Security beefed up in Abia ahead of Supreme Court judgment

    Security beefed up in Abia ahead of Supreme Court judgment

    Police and sister agencies in the state have beefed up security in the state ahead of Thursday’s Supreme Court’s judgment on the Governorship case between Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu and Dr. Uche Ogah of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) respectively.

    Our reporter who went round the commercial nerve of the state reports that there was presence of uniform and mufti security officers at strategic locations in Aba.

    Some personnel of security agents who spoke to our reporter said that they decided to take such steps in order to ensure that nobody capitalized on the judgment of the Supreme Court to disrupt the peace in Aba and its environs.

    In a chat with the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Geoffrey Ogbonna warned both Ikpeazu and Ogah’s supporters to avoid acts that could jeopardize the peace in the state, stressing that anyone that would truncate the peace in the state would dealt with by the police.

    Ogbonna said that Abia Police Command decided to dispatch its personnel as a proactive step in stemming the activities of hoodlums and mischievous persons tomorrow.

    “The Abia State Police Command has put all necessary things in motion to ensure that there would be no breakdown of law and order in the state no matter the outcome of the verdict of the Supreme Court. Divisional Police Officers have been advised to ensure that there is adequate security of lives and property in their areas of jurisdiction to avert any ugly incident that might come up as a result of the court verdict. Our men have been deployed at various strategic points as well.

    “The youths in the state should not be allowed to be used in any form of thuggery during, before and after the Supreme Court judgment. I believe that whichever politician that they may be working for, will not send his or her children to be there. Parents are as well advised to warn their children, especially the youths to maintain the peace and stay away from any act that is capable of bringing violence into the state.”

     

  • Abia: A/Court judgment excites PDP

    Abia: A/Court judgment excites PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is excited by the Appeal Court ruling that affirmed the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s of Abia state who contested the election on the platform of the PDP.

    The appellate court on Friday had set aside a judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Okon Abang ordering Ikpeazu’s removal and his replacement with Dr. Uche Ogah, also of the PDP.

    In a statement on Friday by the spokesman of the party’s Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the PDP described the ruling of the appellate court as triumph of the rule of law and victory for democracy.

    The statement said, “What transpired at the Court of Appeal on Thursday, August 18, 2016  has once again rekindled our trust in the Judiciary as the last hope of the common man.

    “You will recall that the lead Judge of the five-man panel of Judges of the Appeal Court, Justice Morenike Ogunwumiju on Thursday, August 18, 2016 delivered ruling on an appeal brought before it by Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, Executive Governor of Abia state in respect of his Tax Clearance Certificate.

    “Finally, the Peoples Democratic Party call on all well meaning Nigerians and the National Judicial Council (NJC) in particular, to continue rising up to its responsibility of maintaining an unbiased judiciary that will be neutral on all issues brought before it”.

  • Abia crisis: state will emerge better under Ogah – group

    Abia crisis: state will emerge better under Ogah – group

    A group that calls itself Isi-Ogoasaa Consultative Forum, from Acha in Isuikwuato local government of Abia state has expressed optimism that state would be a better and economically viable one when Dr Uche Ogah assumed the leadership of the state.

    Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia, the leader of the forum , Chief Chikwendu Ibebuike Onwuegbu, said that since the electoral body had obey the directive of the Abuja Federal High Court presided over by Justice Okon Abang that the next thing to be done is to swear in Ogah without any further delay.

    Onwuegbu said that the delay in the swearing in of Ogah as the authentic governor of Abia state amounts to flouting the directive of a court of competent jurisdiction, which is not in line with the change mantra of the present administration.

    He said, “Since Dr. Ogah has been issued with certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral commission [INEC] the next action will be to swear him in as the Abia governor as declared by the Federal High Court which sat in Abuja in its ruling of 27th June 2016, presided over by Justice Okon Abang”.

    The leader of the forum said that despite the fact that, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has exercised his legal right of appeal, “That appeal ought not to substitute the swearing in of Dr Ogah as the legitimate governor of Abia state as declared by Justice Abang”.

    Onwuegbu explained that, “Abia Charter of Equity as stipulated and enunciated by the founding fathers of Abia, has a pact that the various districts which were joined to create Abia in 1991 will take turns to govern the state which has been followed to the letter until now”.

    “The name Abia was derived from the four [4] letter acronym A-B-I-A representing the four [4] districts that were joined to create Abia, Afikpo District which stands for letter ‘A’  has taken their turn by Dr Ogbonnaya  Onu [1992-1993].

    “Bende District which stands for letter ‘B’  has also taken its turn by Dr Orji Uzor Kalu [1999-2007] and Chief T.A Orji [2007-2015] respectively, it is now the turn of the third letter ‘I’ which represents Isuikwuato District where Dr Ogah comes from  to produce the next governor”.

    “It is a simple logic that after Isuikwuato must have governed the next letter which is ‘A’ which represents Aba District, where Governor Okezie Ikpeazu comes from will produce after Isuikwuato district, so that the ethos of the charter of equity will be achieved to the letter”.

    He continued by saying, “That going by the pact of the  founding fathers of Abia as enshrined in the Abia Charter of Equity , Dr. Ogah is still on the right course which is the reason we are supporting him to be sworn-in as the authentic governor of the state“.

    On the issue of allegation that the certificate of returns given to Dr Uchechukwu Ogah by INEC is not valid, Onwuegbu said that, “Those dwelling on such fantasy should rather purse the substance than the shadow which they are doing to their own detriment”.

    He said, “The media team of Ikpeazu should allow the legal team to do their work and stop trying to deceive the people, as INEC remains the competent authority to issue certificate of return and the commission is always conscious of its statutory obligations”.

    “Since this political imbroglio broke out and they [Ikpeazu’s media team] came out that the certificate of return issued to Ogah is fake the big question is, has INEC come out to say that the certificate they issued to Ogah is fake, let’s face facts please”.

  • Abia crisis : S/East elders charge CJN, AGF, DSS  

    Abia crisis : S/East elders charge CJN, AGF, DSS  

    A group of elders in the Southeast zone has called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Department of State Security to compel the Chief Judge of Abia state to swear-in Dr. Uche Ogah as governor.

    The group, under the aegis of Ndigbo Bu-Otu Union, said allowing Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to continue in office as governor could trigger a major constitutional crisis in the state.

    In a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday, the group said the decision to involve the highest judicial and security institutions in the Abia crisis was part of the resolutions taken at an emergency meeting in Aba, Abia state.

    The statement, signed by the National President of the Union, Igwekala Ugomaduefule said it’s illegal for Ikpeazu to remain in office as governor after his certificate of return had been withdrawn by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Ugomaduefule observed that it’s the first time in the nation’s political history that anyone would be occupying an elective office without a certificate of return issued by the electoral body.

    The union argued that Ikpeazu should be made to quit his seat while pursuing his appeal against he judgment of a Federal High Court that sacked him and ordered that Ogah be sworn-in.

    “If he eventually succeeds in the appeal, he will return to office after the INEC must have issued him another certificate of return”, the union said.

    Citing Section 71 of the Electoral Act, the union noted that INEC is mandated to issue a certificate of return within seven days to a candidate that won an election as proof of his/her win.

    It noted that in a case where a court declares another person the successful candidate in an election, the certificate of return should be issued to the successful candidate within 48 hours.

    The statement said, “The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as the chief law officer of the federation, must rise to the occasion and forestall political crisis in Abia state by directing the state’s Chief Judge to immediately swear-in Dr. Uche Ogah, who in the eye of the law is today the only legitimate governor of Abia state.

    “The Chief Justice of Nigeria should equally cooperate with the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure the Abia Chief Judge performs his constitutional responsibility unhindered by swearing-in Dr. Uche Ogah immediately.

    “We concede that the outgoing governor Okezie Ikpeazu has the right to appeal the judgement that removed him from office, but since the instrument that made him the governor has been withdrawn by INEC he should do the honourable thing by handing over to the new legitimate governor of Abia state, Dr. Uche Ogah.

    “Section 71 of the Electoral Act and the INEC Guidelines on the conduct of the election was very explicit that only someone with a Certificate of Return duly issued by INEC can occupy every elective office”.

    “The Section states that the Commission is to issue a certificate of return within seven days to a candidate who won an election as proof of his/her win.

    “But, in a case where a court declares another candidate the successful candidate in an election, the certificate of return should be issued to the successful candidate within 48 hours”.

    “We are equally calling on the Director General of the Department of State Services and the Inspector General of Police to immediately withdraw all security details attached to Okezie Ikpeazu, since in the eye of the law he is no longer the legitimate governor of Abia state”.

    The union commended Dr. Ogah for his maturity in restraining his supporters from taking the law into their hands, owing to the refusal of Governor Ikpeazu to quit.

  • Why Ikpeazu was sacked as Abia governor – Court

    Why Ikpeazu was sacked as Abia governor – Court

    The Federal High Court on Friday said Justice Okon Abang ordered Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu’s sack because the judge found that he allegedly submitted false tax information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The court said the case had nothing to do with forgery of tax documents.

    The court’s Chief Registrar, Emmanuel Gakko, said in a statement that there were two different cases against Ikpeazu.

    He said one of the cases was filed by Sir Friday Nwosu with Dr. Ikpeazu and Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah as defendants. The case was before Justice Ambrose Allagoa.

    In the second suit before Justice Abang, Dr. Ogah was the plaintiff, while Dr. Ikpeazu and Sir Nwosu were the defendants.

    The court said the case before Justice Allagoa bothered on alleged forgery or falsification of tax certificate and receipts for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 by Dr. Ikpeazu.

    In deciding the case, Justice Allagoa held that “a mere nebulous averment is not enough for the purpose of pleading the crime of forgery.”

    According to the judge, “forgery is a criminal offence and must be proved, which the plaintiff failed to do.”

    The statement added: “The court further held that by the affidavit of the Abia State Director of Taxes testifying that the documents are genuine, the court held that there was presumption of genuineness of the assessment and the certificate and/or receipts issued to Dr. Ikpeazu.

    “The court further held that the consequential reliefs have become unnecessary for the court’s consideration.

    “It should be noted that the court did not make any consequential orders with regard to the position of the governor other than the allegation of forgery.”

    The Chief Registrar said the case before Justice Abang had a different subject-matter, that Dr. Ikpeazu submitted form CF001 to INEC which were alleged to contain false information.

    “The court held that the information in Form CF001 as shown by him (Ikpeazu) in the affidavit accompanied with other documents to INEC are false and has nothing to do with forgery.

    “The, court, therefore made consequential orders under the doctrine of ‘lis pendens,’ which disallows any transfer of rights or interest in any subject matter that is being litigated upon during the pendency of litigation in respect of the said subject-matter.

    “The court, accordingly, declared Dr. Ogah as the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries and should be issued with Certificate of Return accordingly.”

    The Chief Registrar said the clarification became necessary in view of “misrepresentation of facts as published in some electronic and print media and comments by both legal practitioners and laymen on the correct facts of the cases involving the Abia State Governor and the Judgment of Hon. justice O. E. Abang and Hon. Justice A. L. Allagoa.”

  • Ogah not eligible to be Abia Governor- Court

    Ogah not eligible to be Abia Governor- Court

    …Ikpeazu cleared of Tax evasion allegation

    A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri on Friday ruled that Dr Uche Ogah, who was recently presented with a Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the legitimate Governor of Abia State, is not “eligible to enjoy the outcome of the PDP primary because he rejected the result of the primary”.

    The Court also dismissed a suit filed by Chief Friday Nwosu, seeking to remove the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu for allegedly presenting a forged Tax Certificate to his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Nwosu a guber aspirant on the PDP platform during Dec.8, 2014 primary approached the Court praying that he be declared Abia Governor on the grounds that Ikpeazu was not qualified to represent the PDP during 2015 election.

    Delivering judgment on the suit, the presiding Judge, Lewis Allagoa, stated that the Plaintiff through his Counsel failed to justify his claim that the Tax Certificate submitted by Ikpeazu was forged.

    Allagoa noted that aside looking at documents in litigation, proving a forged matter requires adequate clarification and additional proof by experts before a forgery claim can be established by law.

    On the claim that Ikpeazu was not properly taxed in the year 2011, the Court noted that it was not the position of Ikpeazu, but that of the tax official to determine how he could be taxed.

    The Court maintained that since the issuing Authority (Abia State Board of Internal Revenue) was not joined in the suit nor an expert engaged to ascertain the authenticity of the document it would be unlawful for the court to rule in favour of the Plaintiff.

    On the third relief sought by the Plaintiff, seeking to dismiss the claim to the governorship position by Dr Uche Ogah, the Court  ruled in favour of the plaintiff, noting “Ogah  is not eligible to enjoy the outcome of the PDP primary because he rejected the result of the primary”.

    Allagoa had earlier favoured Nwosu on two other grounds; that the originating summons filed was properly filed and that the Federal High Court has jurisdiction to hear the pre-election suit.

    Reacting to the judgment which lasted more than two hours, Dr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), J.T.U. Nnodum and Theo Nkire who represented the Independent National Electoral Commission, PDP and Ikpeazu respectively said that the judgment was a landmark one.

    Nkire specifically commended the Justice for his industry in reviewing all issues raised by parties and at the end gave a sound judgment that would be hard to fault elsewhere.

    Mr Francis Unyimadu, the plaintiff counsel also thanked the court for the judgment and added that his client will critically look at the judgment and known what next to do.

    Meanwhile moments after the ruling, supporters of the Abia Governor, who  attended the court in their uniforms were dancing and singing songs of thanksgiving for the victory which they said had adequately addressed the recent distractions to the Governor.

  • Ogah: I’m not desperate to be Abia governor

    Ogah: I’m not desperate to be Abia governor

    A People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Abia State, Dr Uche Ogah, Wednesday said his demand to be sworn in as governor was not borne out of desperation.

    He said contrary to impression being created, his case against Governor Okezie Ikpeazu was far from being an ambush.

    According to him, his victory at the court is valid and not “a hurriedly executed legal ambush for the acquisition of political power as being insinuated by some persons.”

    “My case is strongly anchored on facts, and the refusal of Ikpeazu to respond to the core issues and his resort to propaganda speaks volumes,” Ogah said.

    At a briefing in Lagos through his counsel Mr Monday Ubani, Ogah said his case predated Ikpeazu’s swearing in as governor and had reached the Supreme Court before returning to the lower court.

    Ogah said his claim was that Ikpeazu was not eligible to participate in the primaries on the basis that he failed to pay his taxes as and when due as required by the 1999 Constitution, PDP’s Guidelines, and the Electoral Act of 2010. He said on the face of it, Ikpeazu’s tax clearance was questionable.

    The Tax Clearance form (Code PD002/G), dated November 4, 2014, and sworn to at the High Court Registry, Aba, shows that Ikpeazu’s tax receipt number for December 2011 is 0012849; that of December 2012 is 0012846 and that of December 2013 is 0012847 and 0012848.

    “Did he use one booklet to pay tax for three years? Is he the only one paying tax? How come the tax number which ends in 49 came first rather than last?,” Ubani asked.

    He said Ogah went to court soon after the primaries because the PDP’s appeal panel failed to respond to his complaints about Ikpeazu’s alleged non-qualification.

    When he filed the suit in 2014, Ikpeazu challenged the court’s jurisdiction. The appeal process got to the Court of Appeal until it was decided by the Supreme Court which ruled that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction to hear the case.

    The first judge handling the case, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, withdrew from the case on the basis that he was accused of bias and returned the file to the Chief Judge. The matter was re-assigned to Justice Okon Abang.

    “If Ikpeazu is convinced about the rightness of his cause, he should vacate the seat, plead his case in a court of law and when granted victory come back rather than resort to propaganda,” Ubani said.

    According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should not be blamed for issuing Ogah with a certificate of return because the court ordered that it should be with immediate effect.

    Besides, there was no order to the contrary brought to INEC’s notice. “We got an enrolment order which INEC complied with,” Ubani said.

    The lawyer said legal steps would be taken to discharge the restraining order made by an Osisioma High Court stopping Ogah’s inauguration.

    “We have to vacate the order lawfully even though the judge who made the order did not indicate a return date,” Ubani said.

    On why Ogah should be sworn in, the lawyer said an appeal does not operate as a stay of execution in pre-election matters, adding that it is “absurd” for a court of coordinate jurisdiction to arrest an order made by another court.

    “The Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation should have ensured compliance with Justice Abang’s order in the absence of any contrary order, because the judgement says ‘with immediate effect’, and an appeal does not mean a stay of execution because it is not a criminal case,” Ubani said.

    He said Ogah would not take the laws into his hands but would pursue his case to the logical conclusion through the courts, adding that he was not desperate to be governor.

    Ubani said Ogah, an oil magnate, entrepreneur, investor and President of Master Energy Group, a conglomerate with over 15 subsidiaries and interests across a variety of industries with over 40,000 employees, “is not in the race for the money”.

    “He sees involvement in politics as an opportunity to have more solid and sustainable impact on Abia,” he added.